The federal government, criticized for taking too long to provide trailers to those made homeless by Hurricane Katrina, will give some New Orleanians rent-free apartments instead.The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans this week to start housing displaced people in 325 apartments left empty when Katrina triggered a massive evacuation of the city. If the pilot program works, FEMA may house as many as 20,000 individuals and families in apartments. The apartments would be free for at least 18 months. FEMA provides small travel trailers to Americans made homeless by disasters and typically doesn't use existing homes or apartments, but to tackle the nation's largest-ever temporary housing need, FEMA is bending its own rules."We had a dilemma down here," said Lee Champagne, FEMA's deputy federal coordinating officer for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. "We are placing about 500 trailers a day, but at that rate, we will have housed only half the eligible families by March."... http://www.usatoday.com

Animal carcasses and parts dumped on the Riverview Expressway gave motorists a smelly rush-hour detour Monday and left authorities hunting for whoever dropped the material to the pavement. As of Monday evening, police Lt. Dave Wesener said investigators had not determined how the incident happened or identified who was responsible. "We got a partial description of the vehicle but did not locate it," he said....http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1559506

President Hugo Chavez said Monday that Venezuela's intelligence agencies have "infiltrated" a group of military officials from the U.S. Embassy who were allegedly involved in espionage. Venezuelan authorities, including the vice president, have accused officials at the U.S. Embassy of involvement in a spying case in which several Venezuelan naval officers allegedly passed sensitive information to the Pentagon. "I urge the Embassy of the United States in Venezuela to stop spying, we have you infiltrated ambassador, don't move much because we are watching you," said Chavez. "The military officers of the U.S. Embassy are involved in espionage and we have them infiltrated." Chavez, who has accused U.S. President George W. Bush of backing efforts to overthrow his leftist government, threatened last week to arrest any American officials caught gathering intelligence on his military. ...http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/01/30/world/main1259507.shtml?CMP=OTC-RSSFeed&source=RSS&attr=World_1259507

An Italian atheist is suing a parish priest for saying Jesus Christ existed.The hearing in a court in Viterbo, a city located in a valley 25 miles northwest of Rome, opened Friday and could take weeks to decide. Luigi Cascioli, 72, a lifelong atheist, is suing the Rev. Enrico Righi, 75, a local parish priest.The case has opened debate here over whether it's appropriate for a civil court to decide matters of religious faith.To some Italians, the case is a sign of growing secularism in their society. "I don't think this belongs in the court, and it never would have got there if the church was held in high esteem, as it used to be," retired Roman teacher Lana Napoli, 62, says."I don't think I would want the church deciding on taxes or foreign policy," said Federico Massaroti, 35, a city worker in Rome. "Why should the court worry about a religious topic?" ...http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2006-01-30-italy-atheist_x.htm?csp=34

Primary care -- the basic medical care that people get when they visit their doctors for routine physicals and minor problems -- could fall apart in the United States without immediate reforms, the American College of Physicians said on Monday. "Primary care is on the verge of collapse," said the organization, a professional group which certifies internists, in a statement. "Very few young physicians are going into primary care and those already in practice are under such stress that they are looking for an exit strategy." Dropping incomes coupled with difficulties in juggling patients, soaring bills and policies from insurers that encourage rushed office visits all mean that more primary care doctors are retiring than are graduating from medical school, the ACP said in its report. The group has proposed a solution -- calling on federal policymakers to approve new ways of paying doctors that would put primary care doctors in charge of organizing a patient's care and ...http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060130/hl_nm/usa_dc&printer=1;_ylt=AvIK_O90LCNzjrjTqugUUpoR.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTA3MXN1bHE0BHNlYwN0bWE

As European and US politicians meet to coordinate their response to Hamas' sudden victory, it is clear that the result places all parties in a bind. The main puzzle facing Western powers is whether they should continue to fund a government run by Hamas. The Palestinian Authority needs hundreds of millions of dollars every year to keep it afloat. There is no easy way out. Nearly all institutions - schools, health care, security bodies - rely on foreign aid. Cutting that aid risks plunging Palestinian society into chaos and possibly anarchy. Hamas has said that any such move would be tantamount to punishing the Palestinian people, adding that the international community has a moral obligation to help people under occupation. ...http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4664274.stm